I’ve found that I’m not completely happy unless my skin smells like coffee. Yesterday, I was completely happy.
The afternoon involved a cupping of Barefoot coffees, the same that you can find on our coffee bar beginning today. As the cupping commenced, I was transported to a glorious realm of smells, tastes, and textures.
As with all excellent coffees, with my first slurp, my mind’s eye also conjured up images. The first bean on the list was Chiapas Otilio Decaf from Mexico and the UDEPOM Co-op. It didn’t taste like a decaf! Instead, it was like an old friend sitting across the table, familiar and comforting. The nose was full of dark chocolate. I tasted orange blossoms and night jasmine with just enough acidity to tease the tongue.
Barefoot’s cupping notes are below:
Sweet and smartly bright. Touches of orangey citrus highlight the light dustings of chocolate and spice. Light and bright with nice medium body. Surprisingly sweet and involved for a decaf. Retains almost all its warm chocolate and citrus flavors and has a warm clarified butter finish and mouthfeel.
Next up was the Nueva Granada from El Salvador, producer Gloria Rodriguez. This time I was sent to a spring meadow. A breeze caressed my face with smells of damp grass and green growing things as I watched fat bumblebees spill out of buttercups. The taste of golden raspberries followed by meyer lemons caressed my tongue. I wanted to consume every last drop.
Barefoot’s notes:
Crisp and sweet at the same time. Nicely balanced stone fruits and rounded citrus flavors blossom and boogie. Butterscotchy middle layers with sweet finish. Very complex and sweet. More rounded stone fruits and syrupy thickness than Gloria’s other lots.
Finally, a Guatemalan from producer Edwin Martinez took me by the hand. The Honey Michicoy was like sitting in a warm, dark movie theater, snacking on candy bars that I had hidden in my pockets, sweeter and more satisfying than if they’d been eaten in the light of day. The cup sang of blood oranges and dark chocolate with a gloriously full mouthfeel and a honeycomb finish.
From Barefoot:
Crazy fruit bomb of honey & maple syrup with bing cherries, blackberries and apple. Rounds out with buttery caramel and cocoa. Succulent and juicy mouthfeel with crazy sweet fresh juice. A decadent, long lasting finish of apricot nectar and honey.
I am incredibly grateful that I got to experience this magical range of coffees. I feel even more grateful that we’re carrying these coffees in our deli. More information on this truly inspirational business (I didn’t even go into their kick-ass ethics!) can be found at Barefoot’s website. Make sure to come in as soon as you can so you too can be transported by these amazing, bewitching beans.
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